– advised to wait on meeting with President next weekMiners of Port Kaituma, Region One, clearly against the proposed mining regulation which would require six months notice before commencement of an operation, have placed a hold on planned protest actions until a scheduled meeting next week with President Bharrat Jagdeo.Scores of miners, expressing unhappiness, flocked the community centre as members of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) flew to that interior location to apprise them of developments.A specially-appointed body, the Land Use Committee,Off White Nike Vapormax Release Date, is currently wrapping up work on several proposals which includes the possibility of a six-month notice. Sitting on the body chaired by Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn, are miners, the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC),Nike Roshe Run For Cheap, among others.The meeting yesterday follows a massive protest at Bartica on Monday which shut operations down at that key mining community for the day over the new proposals. The committee is expected to hand over its recommendations to the President on his return from Russia. A meeting with him and the miners is scheduled for February 11.Yesterday, Executive Director of GGDMA, Edward Shields, told miners that they were being blamed for all kinds of reasons by the “spin doctors” who were not really dealing with the real issues, except accusing miners of damaging the environment.According to Shields,Jerseys From China, miners would not be falling into the same trap as loggers who under new regulations cannot even harvest the trees in their concessions. He warned the miners that with new regulations, forestry officials would be swarming all the miners.With mining intrinsically linked to other key sectors like transportation, the fact is that many loggers are now being forced to abandon their work as it becomes uneconomical.Addressing the resignation of GGDMA’s President, Major General (Rtd) Norman McLean, Shields stressed that he was not forced to step down. Rather, his philosophies were different and the official had disagreed with moves for protest action at Bartica. The Barticians had expressed surprise at McLean’s stance and late last week he resigned.Shields, who also sits on the Land Use Committee, assured that there is no way mining will be stopped since the pressure is on.He also slammed a proposal that will give the GFC a say in green-lighting mining operations. This area is clearly in the authority of the GGMC, he said, and any attempts to do otherwise is an insult to the integrity of that body.According to the Executive Director, the message from the miners should be clear ‘no’ to the six-months proposal and to GFC having any say.The meeting at Port Kaituma yesterday between miners and the GGDMA.Meanwhile, Patrick Pereira, a prominent miner who has been on the forefront of the miners’ fight, disagreed with a proposal by some miners for a 7-10% of the forest area in the country being set aside for mining. Rather, an accumulated 4% or 1.6M acres of a total of 39M acres would suffice. This would translate to over 150 years of mining in the industry.He also told miners that a proposal by government to have them restore mined lands should come from the royalty paid to the GGMC on declared gold and diamonds (1% if calculated on the 300,000 ounces declared last year would translate to about $600M). There should also be no restrictions when a miner wants to move his prospecting licence to a mining one, at least from this year.Regarding the use of mercury, Pereira felt that it should not be banned completely until miners can find or are given an alternative.He warned the miners not to pollute the waters in the areas since this is being used as a “big whip” against them. Urging miners to only sell gold to buyers, Pereira, a former President of GGDMA, said that he empathized with loggers who, when facing new regulations, did not raise a voice.Meanwhile, the miner said that he was willing to put up $2M for a project that will see the purchase of excavators. Currently, miners unable to show accessibility to excavators are precluded from starting operations. There is a commitment that every dollar raised for this will be matched, he disclosed.According to Ramesh Deonarine,Chile Soccer Jersey, a miner, who chaired the meeting, over 500 persons would be directly affected if the regulations are implemented, including shop owners, aircraft and boat operators, and other key businesses.Deonarine criticized the developed countries who he says are now pressuring Guyana to toe the line when they have already done their damage. Port Kaituma is a key gateway, like Bartica, to many mining areas,<a